Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-09-07
THE BILL EXPOUNDED.
Collins Makes Forcible Argument
for the Cascade County Bill
The Salaries Reduced.

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eight to three. When the bill was before
the council yesterday Mr.. Collins made an
able and comprehensive argument in its
favor lie spoke, i'll effect, as follows:
MR.. COLLINS SPEECH.
The time has come when a general
law should be made providing for the
division of our territory into counties of
suitable size to suit the wants of the peo-
pie Some of our counties are as large
as some of the substantially Choteau
and Dawson. The excessive SIZE of those
counties causes large mileage fees, and
half the Indebtedness of the various coun-
ties of this territory can be attributed to
their magnificent distances, and conse-
quent costs in criminal transportatlons
Equally large burdens do they impose
upon the people who, wishing to enter
homesteads or prove up on land or attend
to county business, are obliged to travel
long distances to reach the county seat.
In the case of Cascade county it is simply
a matter of justice to give the residents
county seat. Already criminal classes in
advance of the railroad are pouring into
Great Falls and vicinity. Let only one
murder case occur, which is no. unlikely,
and the cost of. taking prisoners and
witnesses to Fort Bento /, Helena, or
White Sulphur Springs, would consume
a large proportion of the revenue derived
from that region, and it is but just to
furnish this community with the protec-
ton of courts and Jail.
THE PUBLIC DEMAND.
About twelve hundred persons, sworn to
as bona fide residents have petitioned for
this county. In the case of Meagher
county this petition was signed by every
resident. For those people who live
north of the Belt range to get to White
SULPHUR Springs to transact business it is
necessary to travel three fourths of the
year via Judith Gap or Helena, passing
through three counties and from 170 to
$50 miles: to get to Benton from 40 to ~
miles, and to get to Helena from 10 to 100
miles, while in the new county every resi-
dent can go to TO the county seat, trans
act his business and return the same day.
Great Falls, the proposed county seat, has
from 1900 TO 1900 inhabitants, and will
this fall be the terminal point OF the Mani
toba, Montana Central and Sand Coulee
railroads. 1t is forty-five to fifty miles
from Benton--teo far to disturb the pros
perity of the head of navigation. The
proposed county takes about fifteen town
ships from Choteau county, the same from
Lewis and Clark and about thirty-ive
from Meagher. The population is from
5000 to 1000. and will have this year an
assessed valuation of about two millions.
taking 100000 from Choteau, $500, 900
from Lewis and Clarke ard $50O,OOO from
Meagher. Last year the valuation was
about one-haf that amount. the increase
being caused by the increased value OF
real estate in Great Falls. In return for
alleged decrease in cattle, Choteau will
have over two hundred miles OF railroad,
which. at low figure, would be assessed
at over one million dollars and an increas-
ed valuation of at least so per cent in
Benton real estate. Moreover. as the
Benton board of trade has declared, the
great Indian reservation north of the Mis-
souri, will doubtless be thrown open this
winter and the ch and fertile valleys of
the Milk river and other streams will rap
idly be settled.
OPPOSITION EXPECTED.
Tt is of course natural for an old town
to oppose the creation of new county
seats. Itwas so with the establishment
of Silver Bow county, the establishment
of a county seat at White Sulphur Springs
and the formation of Park county. The
same prejudice prevents Montana and
other territories from being admitted as
states. But this opposition always has
been and always will be, and should have
no effect. In the assumption of indebted
ness by the new county, taking the public
buildings of the interested counties at q
fair valuation, it will be seen that the new
county has taken more than its proportion.
ITpon a careful scrutiny of the merits of
the proposed county, it would seem to be
an equitable and just measure, and should
pass.
THE SALARIES REDUCED.
Remarks were made by CouI cilmen
Hundley of Lewis and Clarke and Suther
lin of Fergus and Meagher. After the
recess the council again went into com.
mittee of the whole on the bill. When
the section fixing the salaries was reach
ed. it was amended by reducing the
salary of treasurer and assessor from
$500 to $500, of probate judge from
$1,000 to 81, 900, and of county attorney
from $500 to $3.50. After considering al
the other sections without amendment
the bill was recommended for passage.
the committee rose, and council resumed
general business.
EIGHT TO THREE.
In the council to-day the Cascade coun
fy bill came up for final reading and wa
passed by vote of eight to three. The
eouneilmen who stood man.ully by the
bill were Messrs. Burleigh Of Custer
Cardwell of Jefferson, Collins Of Choteau
Holiday Of Gallatin, Richards Of Silver
Bow. Sutherlin of Fergus and Meagher
Waters of Dawson and Yellowstone ant
Hickman (the presidenD of Madison
The three members who voted against the
bill were Batehelder of Beaverhead
Hundley of Lewis and Clarke and Ken
nedy of Missoula. Mr.. Pardee of Dee
Lodge was absent.